Boy Meets World: Eric's Turn
by Bekahbee
Summary: Set in Season 6, the college years in an AU. Eric finally gets his turn at love. But will he recognize it when it comes? Eric/OC
1. Crush

**Nothing against Eric slash fiction, but there's absolutely no Eric/OC stories out there. Here's one now.**  
><strong>This is an AU in which the fictional character Sidney Dantes is friends with the gang during the Pennbrook Years. She has a crush on Eric and he seems to like her a lot, but they haven't quite passed that "friend" thing. Plus, Eric is still wrestling with feelings for Rachel, even though she is dating Jack.**

* * *

><p><em>Vanilla skies <em>  
><em> White picket fences in your eyes<em>  
><em> A vision of you and me<em>

_ It's just a little crush_

* * *

><p>It was morning, dammit. A lovely morning for exams but too bad Sid didn't want to get up. A sharp knock at the door wakened her further and she groaned, annoyed.<p>

"Sidney, we've got Feeny's exam this morning. If you're late he's going to shame you in front of everyone. Trust me." Topanga said from the other side of the door.

"But I barely slept at all." Sidney said. She rolled over and fell to the floor with a thump.

"It's a damn good thing she doesn't have a roommate. They'd have killed her by now." Angela said. Sidney leapt to her feet and dug into the mess that was her dorm room looking for shoes that matched.

"I heard that." Sidney replied. She shoved a pair of cowboy boots on and placed her plaid green baseball cap backwards on her head to hide her tangled hair. She rubbed her eyes and finally opened the door, squeezing past Angela and Topanga. But the girls still looked into her room anyway.

"Oh, my God, Sid. Your room is a science experiment, right?" Topanga asked. Sid smiled and gave Topanga a playful nudge with her elbow.

"If laziness is some experiment, then yes." Sid said. Angela and Topanga laughed and together they walked to their first exam of the term's end.

* * *

><p>Eric was half asleep as well. If it hadn't been for Jack, he probably wouldn't have been there yet.<p>

"Eric." Jack said. Eric's eyes were slowly closing. Jack shook his head. Just then, Topanga, Angela, and Sidney walked through the door followed closely by Cory and Shawn. Cory took one look at his brother and his eyes lit up with mischief.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I can't hide my feelings for Eric." Cory said in a high-pitched voice. "Rachel!" Eric squealed before his head hit the desk.

The gang laughed but Topanga and Angela noticed that Sid looked slightly hurt. Angela knew the feeling. It happened every time she saw Shawn around campus with another girl. A few stragglers rushed in right ahead of Mr. Feeny and everyone tensed up as he cradled a humongous stack of papers that was their final exam.

"Good morning, my fellow defamiliarizers. Today we demonstrate what we've learned this semester." Feeny's refined voice was met with scattered groans.

* * *

><p>Finally, after the last exam had been taken and everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief, Topanga, Angela, and Sidney collapsed on the Student Commons' couches.<p>

"My brain is completely dead." Topanga's voice was muffled with couch cushion. Angela and Sid were leaning on each other in a comatose state.

"How is my sweet dumpling?" Cory entered the Commons and sat down beside Topanga. Topanga sat up and glared at Cory.

"How do you think, Cory? We've just been through a difficult week of finals and I've had to regurgitate five months worth of knowledge. Even my hair is exhausted." She snapped. Cory gave a nervous smile and chuckled.

"So I guess you don't want to go away for the weekend..." He began. Topanga's face brightened.

"You're taking me away for the weekend?" She asked. "Yeah. Actually I need to talk to you for a second about it. We wouldn't be going alone." Cory said. He pulled Topanga away from Angela and Sidney and his voice lowered.

"Topanga, this was actually Shawn's idea. He needed a front so he could be alone with Angela in a romantic setting. I think he's gonna try and win her back. Finally." Cory whispered. Topanga rolled her eyes.

"Cory, I thought we agreed not to interfere in our friends' love lives. It just gets messy."

"No, YOU agreed. And besides, this is Shawn's thing here. He's making the effort to get her back. I didn't twist his arm to do this." Cory said.

"Okay, okay. Where did you guys plan to go?" Topanga asked. Cory grinned wolfishly.

"Doctor Amore's House of Love." Cory said. Topanga stared at him like he'd sprouted fangs.

"Really subtle, Cory. But I am not going to a place that sounds like a bordello." Topanga said. She saw Eric sneak into her line of sight and she sighed.

"Ah, baby bro is trying to get some pillow time with his lady friend. All right!" Eric said. "Who talks like you, Eric? And anyway this is none of your business. So butt out." Cory snapped. Eric was undeterred.

"Yeah, anyway. So as I was listening, I could have sworn I heard you say that you were planning to overwhelm Angela and push her into Shawn's clutches. And I must say, as a sensitive, good-looking man of the world, I am shocked that you would take advantage of her like that." Eric said.

"Oh, Eric, that's really sweet." Topanga exclaimed.

"My question is, can I do the same thing with Rachel?" Eric asked, giddy with excitement. Cory laughed.

"I guess I spoke too soon." Topanga said. She left the boys with a toss of her hair and went to join Angela and Sid. Sidney was glancing over at Eric and Angela leaned her head on Sid's shoulder.

"Give it up, girl. Eric has a one track mind like a puppy. He's still hung up on Rachel." She said. Sidney nodded. Sidney and Angela had grown quite close because of their shared love troubles. Angela still admitted to loving Shawn but not being able to trust herself with him anymore. And of course Sidney had admitted to loving Eric despite his obvious obsession over his roommate.

"I know. I don't think I'm even a blip on his radar." Sidney said. Angela shook her head and rose to her feet.

"Girl, we've got to do something about this. I'm thinking we need to go out and find some guys and have some mindless fun." Angela said. Sidney nodded and noticed Topanga coming back from her little secret conversation with Cory.

"Topanga, we've decided to go out tonight and pick up guys." Sidney said. Topanga smiled strangely.

"Oh, by all means. Go now." Topanga said, beginning to shoo them. Angela gave her a weird look as Topanga ushered the two of them out of the Student Commons.

"What is going on?" Angela asked.

"You don't wanna know. Just hurry and go before anyone asks anything." Topanga said. She peered around consciously and Sidney laughed.

"Are we escaping from the middle of Cory plan?" Sid shot a look at Cory and Cory waved awkwardly. Sidney knew something was definitely up.

"I can't really talk about it." Topanga said. "That's fine. We'll be going out if you want to come with us." Angela offered. With that, Angela and Sidney headed toward the dorm. Cory rushed over to Topanga feeling anxious.

"Where is Angela going? She's supposed to be coming with us on a romantic getaway." Cory frowned. Just then Shawn showed up and put his arms around Cory and Topanga, nodding his head.

"Okay, so...when are going?" Shawn wondered. Cory didn't answer.

"Cor?" Shawn fixed his gaze on Cory, making feel uneasy.

"Topanga made them leave. It was her!" Cory yelled. Topanga rolled her eyes.

"Shawn, you can't just expect to win Angela back by luring her to some skanky roadhouse for a romantic weekend. You can't lure me either, Cory." She said, leaving. Cory turned to Shawn, his expression grim.

"I tell ya. These women."

* * *

><p>Angela smoothed out her hair so that it looked sleek and sexy, donning a black tank and black leather pants. Sidney borrowed Angela's red slip of a dress with lace at the top, accentuating the curves of her chest. Sidney straightened her hair out as well and together they headed for Donovan's, a new club that opened a few months ago near Cleavage.<p>

They sat at the bar, their hands tattoed with an underage sticker, and drowned their sorrows in Ginger Ale.

"Why did you and Shawn break up, again?" Sidney asked. Angela gave a snort.

"Because Shawn is a scared little boy. And he's still a scared little boy. And now I'm scared." Angela replied. Sidney rested her chin on her palm.

"Of what?" Sid wondered. She finished her glass.

"Of ending up with him. Of not ending up with him. Everything." Angela said in a subdued voice. Sid began to regret going out. They may have looked like a million bucks but they were still not having a good time.

"So how did you end up falling for a crazy man like Eric?" Angela asked. Sidney smiled and began twirling the ends of her hair.

"God, I don't know. He makes me laugh constantly. I've never known anyone as optimistic and enthusiastic as Eric. Even when he's down and out, he comes up with a bright side. I love that about him. And he has a wonderful heart. There's so much more to him than he lets on."

"Oh? How do you figure?" Angela was in slight disbelief.

"Eric plays the fool as a defense mechanism. If people think he's dumb, then he can't get hurt. But whenever he had to say goodbye to Tommy, that boy from the orphanage, he was really hurting. The two of us kind of connected through that. He was actually vulnerable for a little while. But pretty soon he started to get back to his old silly self."

"You've got it bad. Why don't you just haul off and kiss him?" Angela asked. The music was beginning to give her a headache.

"I couldn't do that. I'd just die. But then again, I'm going to die alone anyway."

"Talking about Eric, are we?" Shawn Hunter slid into the seat beside Angela and ordered a coke.

"Shawn, that is private." Angela said. Shawn ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh, please. Even Cory's parents know that Sid likes Eric."

"Everybody knows except Eric." Sidney said.

"Anyway, where's your other half?" Angela asked. "Who, Cor? He and Topanga went to see a movie. But have I got the guy for you, Sidney." Shawn said, taking Sid by the arm. He led her over to a booth in the corner where a guy was sitting messing with his eyebrow piercing. He wore a leather jacket, tight black jeans, and high tops. But his face was cute and didn't fit his style at all, Sid thought.

"Sidney Dantes, this is Greg Skeens. He lives on our hall." Shawn said. Greg smiled sheepishly and Sid felt a twinge of disappointment. Greg would have been a guy she could definitely see herself dating. But he wasn't enough to make her forget about Eric Matthews.

"Hi, Greg." Sidney said, sliding into the booth. She was suddenly self-conscious of the dress as she felt Greg's intense gaze on her. Greg's face flushed.

Shawn returned to the bar next to Angela. Angela had been watching and frowned at Shawn as he sat down.

"What was that for? She still has feelings for Eric. You can't force feelings away from someone, Shawn." Angela said. Shawn's eyes reflected a strange warmth and he glanced up at Angela. "No, you can't." He said. Angela became a bit nervous and looked away.

"So how did you know we were here?" She asked. Shawn drank a bit from his coke.

"Cory told me. I'm guessing Topanga told him." Shawn grinned. He wished he knew how to break through this awkward barrier between them. Ever since Angela had caught wind that he wanted her back, she had been increasingly anxious around him.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a secret." Angela pursed her lips and tried not to notice Shawn's special cologne. The one he knew was her favorite.

"Hey, Angela...you want to dance?" Shawn reached out his hand for hers and Angela felt herself being led onto the dancefloor. It was a semi-upbeat song, but it was romantic and dark. It seemed to capture the essence of their complicated relationship quite well.

"I didn't know they'd gotten back together." Greg said as he and Sidney watched them from the booth. Sidney gazed after them longingly, hoping that they really would get back together.

"If they have then I sure don't know about it." Sid said. She didn't know what else to say, and it seemed that Greg, who was a really nice guy, didn't have much to say either.

"Greg, I've known a few punks in my day. And you are no punk, my friend. I applaud your breaking of stereotypes, man." Sid added. Greg gave a humble smile and pointed toward the dancefloor and Sidney nodded. The two of them joined Shawn and Angela in dancing.

"Angela, remember how we used to dance like this?" Shawn mumbled. He was getting entirely too close for comfort.

"Shawn, let's not talk about the past. It's over and done with." Angela said. Shawn stopped moving and took her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes.

"Not to me." Shawn's lips grazed Angela's but she backed away before he could fully kiss her.

"Shawn, what are you doing?" Angela asked in disbelief. She hurried off and Sidney went after her. Shawn was left behind to mentally kick himself for losing control.

* * *

><p>"He did what?" Rachel exclaimed. Rachel and Angela were on the couch in her apartment she shared with Jack and Eric. Sidney was pacing the floor worriedly. She didn't know what advice to give or what role to play in this mess. Jack was getting a drink from the fridge and his eyes bulged as he overheard what Shawn had done.<p>

"What's going on? It sounds like "Young and the Restless: the college years" in here." Eric said as he walked through the living room. He glanced at Sidney and did a double take. He wasn't used to seeing a dress like that on quirky Sidney Dantes.

"Whoa...Sid. Rebecca Romjin wants her dress back. But I'd be glad to cover your nakedness until you found something else." Eric embraced Sidney in a giant bear hug and she was confronted with an urge to just kiss him like Angela had suggested. Angela and Rachel seemed uncomfortable that Eric was now involved in the conversation. Sid pulled Eric by the collar and headed out the door.

"Eric, let's give them some privacy." Sid said. Eric whined.

"How come Jack gets to stay?" He said as they came into the hall. The door closed behind them and Sidney felt her heart race. She knew something was about to happen.

"Eric, what would you do...if..." Sidney faltered, her hands still on Eric's collar, close to his firm chest. Eric's expression was light and oblivious, as usual.

Sidney took a deep breath and kissed Eric Matthews with all she was worth.

Sidney linked her arms around Eric's neck, deepening the kiss. It didn't seem to be fazing Eric in the slightest. His hands were at the small of her back, pushing her into him. Eventually Sidney pulled back, breaking contact with Eric and walking to the elevator. She pressed the button and tried to catch her breath, averting Eric's gaze. Eric put his hands to his mouth in confusion.

"What just happened?" He said in utter confusion. Sidney started laughing to get rid of the heavy tension.

"Angela dared me to do that. It was just for fun." Sid entered the elevator as soon as the doors opened and Eric followed.

"Fun? Yeah, that was pretty fun." He said. He circled his arms around Sid's waist, kissing her again as the doors closed.


	2. Here's to the Night

_Are you willing to be had? _  
><em> Are you cool with just tonight?<em>  
><em> Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well<em>

_ Here's to the nights we felt alive_  
><em> Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry<em>  
><em> Here's to goodbye tomorrow's gonna come too soon<em>

* * *

><p>Somehow Eric and Sidney ended up back in her dorm room and they made out for a while before Eric stood up and brushed his hair with his hand.<p>

"This is just fun, right, Sid? I mean, I don't want to hurt you." Eric admitted. Sidney felt like she'd been punched in the chest. She'd been an idiot to think that he'd felt anything special from the kiss.

"Of course. I know you're still hung up on Rachel. Just think of me as...a distraction. Let me make you happy, Eric." Sid said. She could hardly believe she was offering her feelings and her body on a platter for Eric Matthews just so he could have some "fun." She knew she must have been the most pathetic girl that ever lived.

"Happy?" Eric asked. His face changed and Sidney regretted using those words. She laid back on her bed, a strap from her dress slipping down her shoulder.

"Forget happy. Let's just...forget." Sidney said. Eric turned to Sid, his eyes filled with pain. He sat beside her on the bed and kissed her hard. He rolled her gently on her stomach so he could unzip the dress. When she was down to her bra and panties, Eric took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. He crushed Sid into the mattress, feverishly kissing her all over until she had forgotten that all of this was just harmless fun.

Sidney wasn't sure how far this would go but when he began to remove her underwear, he stopped himself.

"Sid, I can't." He said. Sidney pulled him back down to her and realized she wanted him. Quite badly.

"Please?" She asked, her eyes wide and innocent. Sidney knew he wasn't a virgin, and he knew she wasn't one either. Somehow that made it easier.

"Are you sure?" Eric wondered. Sidney proved it to him by taking off every stitch of clothing that remained. He kissed her again, wondering if there was such a thing as "no strings attached."

* * *

><p>Sidney put on her pajamas and began brushing her teeth. She was getting ready for bed like a good girl. Not like someone who'd just had meaningless sex with one of her best friends.<p>

Eric had left as soon as they were done and he seemed pretty guilty, Sid thought. She wondered if it was worth it to have sex with someone she was in love with by just promising a good time and no committment. She felt bad and ultimately decided she'd made a mistake. If Eric wasn't in love, then it wasn't worth it.

"Live and learn, Sid." She told her reflection in the mirror. Someone knocked on the door and Sid went over to open it.

"Where have you and Eric been?" Angela said, bursting into the room. Sidney tried not to blush and went to the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth.

"Oh, wait...did you kiss him? Whoa, now, tell me everything." Angela said. She plopped on Sid's bed expectantly.

"Not much to tell. I just asked him to hang for a while and that you needed privacy." Sid said. Sidney was surprised that she lied to Angela, but she realized that she was ashamed. She didn't want to tell anyone.

"That's it? I knew it. You're too chicken." Angela said with a smile. Sidney tried to smile along to make like things were normal. But inside she wanted to throw up.

"So did you get some perspective about Shawn?" Sid asked, desperate to change the subject. Angela frowned.

"No. I'm just going to avoid him. We should go dancing again tomorrow, only this time I want Greg. And you can get Eric to go with you." Angela said. Sidney shook her head vehemently.

"Ah, no, that's okay. I can go stag. But Greg's a nice guy." Sid said. Angela peered at her, puzzled by her reaction.

"What's wrong? Is it that hard being around Eric? Don't tell me he spent the whole night moaning about Rachel..." Angela wondered. Sidney didn't say anything.

"That boy is ridiculous. Sid, you can do so much better than him. We'll look for more guys tomorrow. It'll be fun."

Sidney cringed at the word "fun."

"Oh, you mean fun like what we had tonight? It didn't work then, why should it work any better tomorrow?" Sid asked. Angela blinked a few times and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. But maybe we can go out to dinner. Cory and Topanga, Eric and I, and then you and Shawn." Angela suggested. Sid gaped at the suggestion.

"Are you serious? Shawn and I? How's that going to make it any less awkward?" Sidney asked. Angela stood and gave Sid a hug.

"If he's with you, he won't be trying to get me alone. And if I'm with Eric, you don't have to worry about another girl stealing him." Angela said. When she pulled away, Sidney could see her eyes were filling up with tears.

"Angela? Oh, God, what happened?" Topanga asked. She came through the door and was at Angela's side in a flash.

"Shawn." Sidney said as though it explained everything. And it kind of did.

* * *

><p>"How could I have been so stupid? I'm trying to get her to trust me and then I take advantage of her." Shawn said. He was lying on his bed, his arm over his eyes to block out the harsh light.<p>

"What'd you do, Shawny?" Cory asked him. Shawn gave a disgusted grunt.

"I kissed her. Or I almost did. And she totally freaked." Shawn rubbed his face with his hands. Cory's eyes widened in shock.

"Shawn, you were supposed to WOO. That does not sound like WOO material." Cory's expression was comically grim.

"I know. I had a big speech and everything. But all I could think of was how good she looked and how much I wanted to be with her. I lost myself."

"Don't tell me that. Tell her that." Cory said. Shawn sat up and gave him a determined smile.

"You're right, Cor. Tomorrow I'm going to explain everything." He said.

"Little brother, I need some advice." Eric said from the other side of the door. Cory and Shawn glanced at each other and shrugged.

"You may enter." Cory said. Eric came through the door, his demeanor one of panic. Cory was immediately unsettled.

"Cory, I think I've done something really bad. And I don't know how to fix it."

* * *

><p>"What did you do, Eric?" Cory asked. He was uncharacteristically serious and it was freaking him out. Eric shook his head.<p>

"I took advantage of somebody. I slept with a girl." Eric said. Cory's brows furrowed.

"You mean you...uh..." He began. Shawn rolled his eyes.

"We all know what that means, Cor." Shawn said. Eric nervously sat on the corner of Cory's desk and stared down at his shoes.

"And you feel bad because...she thinks you like her?" Cory asked. He didn't exactly know what Eric was upset about.

"No, she told me that we were just having fun. And it WAS fun, believe me. But for some reason, I don't feel so good about it today." Eric said.

"Eric, if I may?" Shawn asked, leaning forward to a sitting position. Eric gave a nod.

"Do you care about this girl?" Shawn wondered. Eric shrugged.

"I love Rachel. I think I feel guilty because it's like I cheated on Rachel. And it wasn't fair to this girl that I used her." Eric admitted. Shawn became confused.

"You said that she knew it was just a good time, right? Why should you feel bad? She wasn't expecting more." Shawn said. Cory became upset.

"Maybe she should have expected more. I can't believe you'd have a one-night-stand, Eric." Cory said, his voice laced with disappointment. Eric's face clouded over.

"I can't believe it, either. I'm just some man whore." Eric joked. Cory didn't smile. Eventually Cory stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>That night Sidney lay in bed and couldn't sleep. She thought about a lot of things. About Cory and Topanga and how much they loved each other and how lucky they were to find each other. She thought about how envious she was of their happiness, wishing she could find someone like that. Sidney also thought about Angela and Shawn. She knew deep down that they would get back together again. But she knew Angela needed time to work through her feelings, and Shawn did too. They were all so very lucky.<p>

And then Sidney thought about Eric. His bright eyes and eager expression, the earnestness that he carried with him, even in rough times. His tenderness and humor. Unrequited love was so unfair. Eric loved Rachel and he'd probably never get the chance to hold her or make love to her. It was just too sad.

Sidney cried herself to sleep and didn't dream.


	3. So Much For The Afterglow

_Yeah, we never talk about the future_

_We never talk about the past anymore_

_We never asks ourselves the questions_

_To the answers that nobody even wants to know_

_So much for the afterglow_

* * *

><p>"Jack, I've been thinking. We should have another dinner party." Rachel said, washing a few of their breakfast dishes in the sink. Jack looked horrified.<p>

"You want another one? The last one was a total disaster. Eric pretended to be a Russian spy and Cory and Topanga almost broke up." Jack said. Rachel smiled.

"It wasn't that bad, silly. And besides, we'd pair Eric with Sidney this time. He wouldn't get away with any ridiculous lies." Rachel said. She sat at the island in the middle of their kitchen and took out a notepad.

"Oh, how cute. Are you planning the party already? The one we definitely AREN'T having?" Jack said. Rachel fixed him with a nasty glare.

"We ARE having it." Rachel said. Jack frowned and made a face.

"And besides, it's not fair to Sidney to set her up with Eric." Jack said as he made his way over to the couch. Rachel gaped at him.

"Not fair? But she likes him. What's not fair about it?"

"Because he's Eric. And I like Sid too much to subject her to an evening of Eric's stupidity." Jack said. He switched on the television, trying to ignore the tiny fit that Rachel was about to throw a fit.

"I repeat: SHE LIKES HIM." Rachel yelled. Just then, Eric breezed through the apartment in his boxer shorts, his hair ruffled. Rachel froze and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Did the lovebirds remember to make me breakfast? Or did they forget because they were too in LOVE to remember?" Eric said sarcastically. Rachel caught her breath and felt confident that Eric hadn't heard her secret.

"Sorry, Buddy. We, uh...ate it all." Jack mumbled absently. Eric crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a new place. All this romantic tomfoolery is affecting my grades. I found out yesterday I made a D on my first final."

"You would have made a D anyway, Eric." Jack said.

"That's not the point!" Eric shrieked. Rachel smiled sympathetically and put her arms around Eric.

"That's okay, Eric. I know what'll make you feel better." Rachel said, stroking Eric's long hair. Eric's eyes glazed over with delight.

"I want to have a dinner party. How would you feel about having Sidney as your date?" Rachel added. Eric's face jerked back.

"What? I mean, it's not that I mind, but-" Eric began, backing away.

"See? I told you, Rach. Even Eric knows." Jack said.

"Eric knows what?" Eric asked. Rachel frowned.

"If it makes you that uncomfortable to be around Sidney considering that she likes you and everything, I guess I can pair her with someone else. I have a few single guy friends." Rachel explained. Eric's eyes widened.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe that would be best." Eric said. He retreated silently to his room.

* * *

><p>"Topanga, my love, I know you mean well, but if we don't interfere, then we are looking at a bunch of sad, lonely people. Then it's not a double date or a triple date, it's just one happy couple and a few tagalongs who wish they had what we have." Cory said. Topanga gave Cory one of those looks that told him he'd probably said something really stupid.<p>

"Cory, we don't need to meddle. Our friends are capable of running their own lives." Topanga ruffled through the pages of a magazine and barely noticed Cory's pout.

"Shawn and Angela should be together."

"Drop it, Cory. If you spent half as much time on your studies as you do on fixing other people, you'd be on the Dean's List." Topanga said. Cory's jaw dropped.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Cory's face grew angry.

"Cory, I'm just saying you should focus on something else besides pushing other people to do what YOU think they should do. Not everyone shares your opinion." Before Cory could respond, Shawn and Angela joined them in the Student Commons.

"Hey, guys. Angela and I have been talking and-"

"You're getting back together. I KNEW it. Didn't I tell ya, honey?" Cory interrupted. Topanga sighed. Shawn and Angela shook their heads.

"Actually we wanted to have one big 'going out' thing before we have to leave for the summer." Angela said. "Yeah. We've got a plan that we wanted to try out." Shawn added. Cory looked intrigued. Topanga looked stunned.

"Not you too. I've just been telling Cory that we shouldn't get involved." Topanga said. Shawn smirked.

"It's not what you think." Shawn said.

"Sid likes Eric. And our plan is merely designed to find out if he likes her too." Angela said. Cory and Topanga's faces encouraged Shawn to explain.

"Eric can't be THAT hung up on Rachel anymore if he and some random girl had sex last night." Shawn said. Angela obviously hadn't heard that part. She did a double take.

"Eric did WHAT?" Angela and Topanga asked at the same time. Cory shot daggers at Shawn.

"That was private, Shawn." Cory whispered.

"Eric had a one-night-stand." Shawn said in a guilty voice. Angela gasped.

"This stays between us. No one else is supposed to know." Cory said. Topanga caught Angela's eye and she knew something was going on that she didn't want everyone to know.

"Um, you were telling us about a plan?" Topanga asked, changing the subject. Angela returned Topanga's secret look and they knew they'd talk about it later.

"Yeah. Rachel and Jack wanted to do something so we were going to go out with them. Angela was going to go with Eric and I was going to take Sid."

"This plan is to prove that Eric likes or doesn't like Sidney? How?" Topanga asked.

"The plan is to make Eric think I'm putting the moves on Sid. If he has an issue with it, then that's proof." Shawn said. Topanga rolled her eyes.

"And if he doesn't? That doesn't mean he can't have feelings for Sid. And if he does have an issue with it, that doesn't mean he likes her."

"Jeez, Topanga." Shawn said.

"It's a foolproof plan." Cory said approvingly. Angela stood and beckoned for Topanga.

"Can we talk a minute?" Angela asked.

* * *

><p>When Angela and Topanga were in their dorm room, safe from loose lips and ears, Angela seemed like she'd burst.<p>

"What is it?"

"The random girl. Shawn said Eric had sex with a random girl last night."

"I know. I can't believe Eric would do that." Topanga said. Angela shook her head.

"Last night you and I were at Rachel's. Sidney and Eric went off somewhere together. For a fairly long time. And when I came to check on her, she seemed really weird. And Shawn said that Eric had a one-night-stand. Think about it."

"Sidney and Eric? Oh, my God." Topanga said in disbelief. Angela nodded.

"Eric may do a lot of things, but I don't think he would have sex with a stranger." Topanga added.

"So maybe Eric really does have some sort of feelings for Sid." Angela said.

"Maybe. But whatever we do, we keep this between us. The guys don't need to know, and we can't let Sid know we know. We have to let her come to us."

"You're right. But what does that do to our plans?" Angela asked. Topanga shrugged.

"I think we should wing it. No telling if Shawn's plan might actually work. But remember I'm not someone who meddles. I just have the feeling I'm going to get blamed for anything bad that happens." Topanga said.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be the last person blamed if anything hits the fan." Angela said with a laugh.

* * *

><p>Sidney remained in her dorm room. She wasn't sure if it was the shame, though she figured if anyone saw her they'd figure out she was a slut somehow. And she also wasn't sure if it was depression, thinking about how disappointed she was that Eric was willing to have sex with someone he didn't love or care for.<p>

But maybe deep down, she was disappointed in herself for wanting him so badly that she didn't care about anything else.

Her phone rang and she hid under the covers, not ready to face the world yet. After three rings she finally relented and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Sid, it's Greg. Greg Skeens. Shawn's friend."

"The boy-next-door in punk rocker clothing? Yeah, I really dug you." Sidney said. She felt mildly cheered up.

"I'm glad. I was actually...wondering if..." Greg was stalling. Sidney felt a little nervous at what she felt was coming.

"I'd insult you again in person?"

"Heh, yeah, I guess. I promised myself I'd ask for a date like a man and that's what I'm going to do." Greg said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Good for you, Skeens." Sid said.

"So will you?'

Sidney chewed on the edge of her lip and realized that Eric was never going to care about her in the way she wanted.

"Sure. Name the place." She said.


End file.
